Once Upon A Pirate's Quest
by KatLeePT
Summary: When Captain Hook and friends are sent on the run, Hook calls upon an old friend from the past. Many more fandoms and characters to come. Eventual R/M rating and male/male, female/female, and male/female romances. Co-authored with Captain Black Jack Andrew Lee.
1. Prologue

He hates this. He's a powerful Pirate Captain whose name struck fear in the hearts of all seafarers not too long ago. He didn't run from fights then; he created them. He still hates running now. He's not a coward, and flight is for the cowardly. Yet, right now, he can see no other option.

He knows he shouldn't be here. He should be with her, but his presence is more needed here, luring the monster about whom he once tried to warn the others. They trusted him, and some have since paid for that misguided trust with their lives. Too many have fallen, from his brother to the son of this creature that's chasing them to the ones who fell as Regina made her spell. He wonders, for a fleeting moment, if any of this would have happened if Neal hadn't died.

But the boy's dead, and there's no way to bring him back. There's also no way for him to change his mind now and take a different path. This was the path Emma wanted for him, and so here he is, running from the man he swore to kill. "Damn Crocodile," he hisses under his breath, his mustache twitching, as the earth explodes directly before his feet yet again.

He brakes, grabbing the hand of the blonde woman on his right. She snatches the boy beside her, and together they dart around the now gaping hole in the ground. Another bolt of magic hits another patch, and once more they skirt.

"I STILL SAY WE SHOULD TAKE THE FIGHT TO HIM!"

"WE CAN'T! HE'S TOO POWERFUL!"

"IT'S TOO SOON!" He will take the fight to him again one day, but right now, they're buying crucial time for Henry, Emma, and her parents to escape. Time is of the essence. It doesn't really matter how they buy it, but the sooner they face the Dark One, the sooner he'll learn the truth. No, as much as Hook hates to admit it, it's better this way.

Houses explode around them. Screams of the dying rend the air. Still, they push on, he determinedly gripping the blonde's hand and she sometimes having to yank the boy after them to keep him from going to stop a stranger from being killed and being killed himself.

The Crocodile starts laughing as Hook spies the pier. He hates that sound. It's echoed in far too many of his dreams. He hears it every time he relives his hand being cut off and Milah dying in his arms. Anger fuels him, pushing his muscles to strain harder and his legs to run faster. Just like the boy, he wants to take the battle to the Dark One. Even if he dies in the process, it'll be worth it to just stop running and stand up to the beast.

But he can't. He has to run, because if he doesn't run, if they don't pull this off, the Dark One will find Emma and Henry faster. He'll find them, and he'll kill the woman he loves a second time. Hook won't let that happen. She might not be with him now, and might never love him as much as he loves her, but he's more than willing to die, or anything else it takes, to save Emma.

The woman beside him is running just as fast, her heart and the screams of those being killed where they stand pounding inside her chest. The air reeks of smoke, fire, blood, death, and, worse of all, pure evil. Like the men, she yearns to stop running and take the fight to the monster who's done all of this and killed so many of their friends, but she knows she can not . . . not yet.

They hit the pier, and the boards vanish from underneath their feet. Hook and the shrouded boy jump to the next board, but she's slowed as a clawed hand grabs her boot. She growls, dark eyes flashing menacingly, and kicks the minor Demon back into the churning, dark waves from whence it came. Another grabs her cape. She slashes at it, but the boy grabs her and pulls her back.

"Not now," he tells her. "You can't let go now. We've got to keep running. For Snow."

She looks into his eyes so full of anger, grief, and more emotions that match her own and nods. "For Snow," she agrees a split second before Hook bellows.

"INTO THE WATER! NOW!" He'd been looking for a sign of the friend they sought while his companions spoke in hushed tones to one another, but he hadn't found it when he saw the Dark One aiming again for where they stood. He knows Ariel wouldn't lie, that she got the message to the friend he told Regina to have her contact, but he knows, too, that one more second on that dock will have them dead.

"NO!" the woman starts to tell him while the boy gripes that he's nuts, but Hook knows there is no other choice. He grabs them both and dives into the water just as the pier explodes. He keeps the boy aloft, letting the blonde swim for herself, as his legs kick him up through the churning waves. He smiles when he catches sight of dark sails pluming in the night, but then scaly hands grab him, yanking him forcibly downward as the blonde howls . . .

To Be Continued . . .


	2. Chapter 1

"How doth the little crocodile  
Improve his shining tail,  
And pour the waters of the Nile  
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin!  
How neatly spread his claws,  
And welcomes little fishes in  
With gently smiling jaws!"

Jack had been alone as usual, taking his morning bath when she had suddenly appeared in front of him, bringing a message he had waited many years to hear. Her message had caused a cold shiver of fear to run up his spine. After all these years, sometimes the horror of his almost death still haunted him. Even as he stared into the beautiful mermaid's face, his mind slipped back to another time and place...

He had been a mere slip of a lad when he had run away from his uncle who had abused him for most of his life since he had been orphaned at three when his father and mother had been lost at sea. He had run away when he was twelve, and a seemingly kind Sea Captain who later turned out to be a Pirate Captain took him to his ship. He had turned out to be the very Devil himself. The Captain liked the boy's fair face and tender, nubile body. He desired him and, once on the ship, would have him beneath him as soon as possible.

Once at sea, he had taken Jack to his cabin where he had tied the boy to a beam and began to fondle him. Jack protested rather loudly as the Captain worked his filthy hands lower on his body. The captain ripped Jack's clothes off. Even despite the ropes, he struggled but in vain. The Captain gagged Jack and then had his way with him, leaving the boy in tears and going aboard deck to strut as only an asshole can strut.

He was kept tied up for the next several days while the Captain came in and took his pleasure. Jack never stopped struggling. All he wanted was to escape this horrible nightmare that his life had become, and for once in his life, he wanted to kill something : the evil bastard that kept torturing him.

On the third day, another young lad was led in, stripped, had his hands tied to the beams, and beaten with a cat o' nine tails. The boy had accidentally dropped a plate of food on the Captain, who now repaid him for his ineptitude by beating him to death. As the boy screamed until his lifeless eyes met the ceiling, the blood spattered onto the Captain and Jack. Jack now knew what fate awaited him.

He watched in horror as the Captain's pants strained to burst as his staff became overly excited. He cringed inwardly, but the Captain did not take Jack. He lowered his pants and plunged into the dead lad again and again, licking the blood from his torn back with a horrible grin on his ugly face. Jack wept, no sound coming, for he was still gagged. The Captain's horrible laughter filled the cabin as Jack fainted!

=^.^=

Ariel did not know what private Hell the captain seemed to be lost in. She reached out and touched his arm gently. She knew he was naked, so she averted her eyes. "Captain? I have another message from your friend. He said, 'Remember Barbados, All Hallow's Eve!'"

Her touch made Jack cringe inwardly but also made his mind snap back to the present. He returned to the Pearl and, standing there dripping wet, spoke, "We must take a new heading! Follow the mermaid! I have a friend in need of rescuing!" He knew they would follow his words without hesitation.

Turning, he had gone into his cabin and dressed. Several hours later, he was riding his ship and gazing down onto the deck at people he had grown to love. Each had been rescued in one way or another. He knew their stories, but none knew his. Only Killian knew his; only Killian had dared to save him...

To Be Continued . . .


	3. Chapter 2

Jack stood half way between Heaven and the ocean, as near to flying as he could ever hope to achieve. His eyes closed, he hovered there, enjoying the wind stroking his body with its fingers as light as those of a lover. His mind raced raggedly along, causing him much anxiety as he replayed the morning's events. He owed his friend a life debt and prayed that he would reach him in time to  
repay it.

It must be dire indeed as he would never have sent such a cryptic message by a mermaid, most of whom could not be trusted. But she had appeared when he had been taking his morning bath. She had not tried to harm him but had carried him a message. "Remember Barbados, All Hallow's Eve." Only Killian could have sent it. Now she was leading them to where Killian needed him, and neither Heaven or Hell would keep him from Killian if it were indeed his old friend.

If it turned out to be a trap and the mermaid had lied, he would gladly gut her, especially if she had caused Killian any misfortune. He had searched his mind and could find no reason why she should cause them trouble for they had no treasure and had not taken booty in many months. As he was sure it was common knowledge that the Pearl was now a rescue ship and not a treasure seeker, he could see no reason for her perfidy.

He opened his eyes and looked down into his home. Will Turner had his back to him, intent on steering the Pearl as quickly as possible. Jack gazed at the back of his First Mate. The lad had intrigued him since they had first met, but he would never let him know.

For all intents and purposes and for all seeing eyes, Captain Jack Sparrow was a ladies' man. Every port they entered, he always picked out a different woman to flirt with and supposedly sleep with, but every one of them ended up slapping his face the next time they met. The world thought it was because he was not true to any of them, but nothing was further from the truth. Only Killian knew better! Only Killian knew him so well!

Only Killian had saved him! Now the litany kept ringing in his head. At last, he could save his friend! He had sent for him! He closed his eyes and continued to pray he would be on time!

His father was standing at the rails, looking down into the water and trying to keep the mermaid in sight. Prue was brushing her long, black hair while tapping her foot to the music Cole was playing on his guitar. Jack looked up and around until he finally spied Kurt hanging upside down by his tail and reading a book.

He heard the sound of a hammer hitting a thumb and wondered what Clark was fixing. Leave it to him to be working when everyone else was relaxing. He wondered where the others were and then sighed to himself. He wondered if they were as anxious to reach their destination as he was. What would they find when they reached there. Would he be in time to save Killian?

It seemed like forever to reach their destination, but suddenly, the Pearl came to such an abrupt stop  
that Jack almost fell from his perch. He barely managed to catch himself. His eyes opened wide as another explosion ripped through the air... Somebody's world was being ripped to Hell!

Even as his mouth opened declaring, "What the Hell!", he was startled to see his friend, Killian, a blonde woman, and a boy thrown skyward and then sink below the ocean. Jack barely managed to holler "After them!" before Cole had dropped his guitar and orbed to where the people had disappeared. Kurt bamfed to the scene; both dove under the ocean.

Meanwhile, Will managed to slide the Pearl in very close to the scene. Jack dived in, hoping to find Killian, followed by Wolverine! Logan didn't know what they had just gotten themselves into, but the last thing he saw as he dove was the mermaid they had been following all day and long into the night. What had she gotten them into?

To Be Continued . . .


	4. Chapter 3

She's seen a lot of strange things in her days, short though they may have been, but she's never seen anything quite like this. The man flying high above the port into which they've just arrived might have looked almost normal, if he hadn't been throwing glowing balls of some kind of power or had not been so full of rage. She's seen such rage on only two other individuals her entire life. Oddly enough, she now calls one an ally, but the other has his name etched on her sword.

She swings her cannon to face the stranger as another of the balls he's thrown impacts the water where her Captain and several of her crew mates have dived. As swift as a whistle, she lets three balls fly. The first two miss their mark, but the third hits him straight. He flies backwards but somehow manages to keep in the night air.

"Bastard got lucky," she growls, dark brown eyes flashing, "but we got 'im once an' we'll get 'im again! Come on, Luthor! Keep 'em comin'! We're gonna nail his ass!" As fast as her assistant loads the cannonballs, she fires them.

She grins as she watches them going at the Wizard, confident they'll hit their mark dead on, but a single wave of his hand vanishes her grin and sends her diving on top of Luthor. "SHITT! INCOMING!"

=^.^=

Meanwhile, in the ocean, Killian Jones and his two friends have found the current to be very strong. The woman's kicking strongly against the water when it tears the blonde hair from her head. She reaches for it, knowing the disguise is needed though unwanted, but it slips away as a pair of muscular arms surround her. Even in the water, her sense of smell can not be denied, and she knows immediately what holds her.

Her elbows swing back, hitting the Demon who's grabbed her and knocking him backwards into the current. She hisses, her fangs glistening in the watery darkness. "Demon!" she seethes, and immediately regrets the motion as water rushes into her lungs. She shuts her mouth, but the damage is already done.

Her insides are burning when another hand grabs her arm. She urgently looks at the man who now holds her. She relaxes a little, seeing he's a friend, but notices immediately that, like herself, his disguise is gone. Their eyes agree nothing about this situation is good, but they have to get to the surface if they're going to stand a fighting chance.

Swimming upwards, they break onto the surface of the water together. She spews water. "Hey, sister, watch it! I didn't save you so you could spit on me!"

She laughs, something that very few of her friends can make her do in such a dire situation. Indeed, there's only one other who can do it, and her heart aches with her fear that she'll never see her again. "That was a Demon!" she tells him as soon as she's able to speak.

"I know, and here comes another one of his pets!" Grumpy pulls his dagger as a blue-furred creature with yellow eyes, fangs, and a pointed tail swimming their way nears. The woman turns to face the Demon beside the Dwarf, her hair bristling and her own fangs bared.

=^.^=

It had all happened too fast for even his reactions. They had come into port in the midst of a magical attack or, more aptly, a barrage of fireballs exploding onto the three people he presumed they were coming to rescue. He had been about to join the others in the water when their gunner had made her first strike on the enemy. His return fire had both been unexpected and too swift for the girl to get out of the way in time.

The smoke has not yet cleared when another fireball hurtles through the air. Spotting it in time to note its course, Brendan dives across the deck. His body slams into Prue's as he throws them both over the railing. The Pearl is smoking before they even hit the water in the spot where Prue just stood not a heartbeat before.

She had not seen the fireball coming at her, but suddenly, Prue found herself in two strong arms. She struggles to breathe as the breath is knocked from her body, and then she realizes she's totally wet! She clutches him to her, her arms tight around his neck, as her fear of the water outweighs everything else. Loud cannons crash all around.

She can hear people screaming and knows they're dying, but as her mind tries to flash back to another time when she heard similar cries, Prue realizes that whoever holds her has saved her life. She opens her eyes and is surprised at the identity of the man holding her: the quiet one, the Captain's adopted brother, the one who made her heart beat a little faster every time she saw him! "Don't let go!" she begs, her voice somewhere between a whispered plea and a frantic cry.

"I WON'T!" he promises her above the roar of the fire and crashing waves. Her fingernails are bringing blood from his skin, and there's blood in the water rushing around their legs. Through it all, he can smell the girl's fear, but it is the sweet scent of the blood that lulls his attention back to the battle.

Demons are coming. He can smell every one of them. The crew needs him. Jack needs him! But the blood sings a song that sways his pointy ears and begins a burning deep in a soul that they never could quite beat out of him. "You need to go!" he tries to tell Prue as fur begins to grow over his flesh. "Get to the shore! I'm sorry, but I - I can't - "

"I can't be your hero!" he manages to cry just as his mouth becomes a snout. His words become a primitive howl. His fangs gnash at the empty air upon which the scent of blood runs high. The last thought of the man is that he can never be any one's hero for he always will be a monster just before that monster finishes revealing itself . . .

Another shockwave trembles through the ocean, and Wolverine moves closer to Jack. He doesn't want to lose his son in the middle of this chaos. The ocean is so thick with fish trying to flee the aftermath that Jack almost misses the Demons. They're upon Wolverine and himself so quickly they almost have them, but they aren't ready for the Wolverine!

Jack can not hear the distinctive snikt his father's claws make, but he sees them pop out  
as he attacks the Demons. Blood swirls in the water, and he prays it is not his father's. Staying out of his father's claws' way, he pulls a long knife from his boot and immediately begins plunging it into one Demon after another. He's so busy fighting the Demons swimming at him from left and right that he doesn't see the menacing reflection in his dagger's mean blade as another comes from behind him.

Aboard the Pearl, Clark is standing on the deck, looking towards the water as another bolt hits the mainsail, ripping it in two. He sees dark, billowing clouds roiling around what appears to him to be a gigantic face of the ugliest creature he has ever seen. Still clutching his hammer, he turns his vision on the head until it is a glowing, red hot. He takes careful aim for the nose of the creature's face and then lets it go...

To Be Continued . . .


	5. Chapter 4

Kurt had seen the blonde wig flow away in the ocean current revealing a dark haired woman! He had been surprised at her strength when she had knocked him away. It caused him to resurface to catch his breath.

Cole had seen the blow delivered to Kurt and was surprised at the power behind it. The woman was more than she appeared to be. He approaches the group with palms outward to show he has no weapons. As he nears, he sees Kurt also approaching. He pretends not to see him and focuses on the strangers instead, making the sign of friend by interlocking his index fingers twice to the duo. He hopes they will understand and there will be no need for violence.

"Yeah," Red growls, seeing Cole's gesture. "We weren't born yesterday, Demon." She quickly gives him a gesture from the modern world from whence she and her friends have come, a gesture that leaves Grumpy grinning.

"We've got a problem here, sister," he whispers out of the side of his mouth.

"Yeah, I know. He's a Demon, Grumpy," she says, her dark eyes locking with his, "but he's telling the truth! I can smell it on him."

"I know." Then, together, they agree, "But we don't dare trust him." Red looks up, growling and her eyes instinctively turning yellow, as she hears the long, hungry cry of another wolf.

By her side, Grumpy curses. He'd promised Snow he'd protect Red, and he will, but the night's events are quickly unfolding into considerably more than any one Dwarf, even himself, self-proclaimed King of the Pick Axe, can handle.

Will had given up trying to steer the Pearl a split second before the steering wheel and mast were hit. He dives further down onto the deck and sees the girl every one on their crew knows only as Faith laying still above the mysterious, one-eyed Luther. Keeping low to the deck, Will quickly make his way to Faith, but as he moves to touch her, he finds a knife at his throat. "Easy, Faith. It's only me."

Her eyes are wild, and for one sickening, dreadful moment, Will thinks she doesn't recognize him or even where she is. Then her bloody, cracked lips curve upward into a wicked smile, and Will feels a shiver run down his spine. He'll never understand why Jack keeps lunatics around, but suffering them is a small price to pay to stay around the Captain of his heart.

"Good," she speaks, ignoring the blood that drips from her mouth as she sheathes her knife. "You've gotta help me get Luther outta here." She stands on wobbly legs. He moves again to help her, but she shoves him away. "You take his left side; I've got his right."

Together, through the fireballs that continue to rattle the ship, they make their way to the railing. They are three feet from it when the creature in the sky howls. Faith glances, but Will looks longer. He sees the weapon that made the beast howl is a hammer that is now glowing red, and he sees the thing throw out his arm and start a whole new barrage of glowing balls of fire.

Then, suddenly, Will's feet are knocked out from under him. "TAKE CARE OF LUTHER OR I'LL GUT YOU WHEN THIS IS OVER WITH!" Faith screams as Will falls with Luther's unconscious body dropping with steady, heavy weight right on top of him.

Alone on the deck, the girl turns and runs for the last cannon she has left. It's smaller than all the rest, but it's going to have to do. She loads it without hesitation and begins firing even as ten more fireballs drop at once onto the Pearl.

Killian Jones had fallen deeper into the water than the others, and then, although he had not lost his consciousness and his lungs had burned for air, he had watched to see what was going to happen next. As he had half-hoped, Jack and his crew had quickly joined the battle in the water, but now as the swirling blood is thickening the water, making sight and movement all that more difficult, Killian sees the Demons attacking. He would curse, but that would put more water in his lungs. There's no time to waste on anything but saving the men who had tried valiantly to come to their rescue.

He kicks up through the current, sees a short man with strange knives holding his own against the horde of Demons, but then he sees Jack, his back left open to attack. Killian swims fast and swipes his hook straight through the Demon's gut just as its claws touch Jack's back. As the Demon sinks, Killian grabs Jack with his good arm and kicks harder, spiraling them both through the bloody water and to the surface.

Cole's keen hearing picks up the sounds of the battle above, and then he hears Brendan's howling! He can't be in two places at once, even though he's a Demon. Damnation, his home's under attack! He hopes those on board are able to defend the Pearl, but he fears the worst! The woman is not supposed to be here, but he knows she needs rescuing. So does the man floating next to her.

When she had flipped him a bird, he'd almost grinned. She hadn't the foggiest idea of the sign he had given her. Thinking that if she was savvy enough to flip a bird she might recognize a peace sign, he now gives her one. The next move is up to her.

Kurt watches as Cole gives the sign of peace. What would the woman do now? He finds her intriguing, the wolf side of her making her more attractive to him.

Clark sees all the chaos falling upon them. Everything that is bad that has happened has been caused by that thing in the sky, and more trouble is raining down upon them. Cannonballs and fireballs fly rapidly. The Pearl is falling apart around him, and his friends are being attacked by Demons in the ocean.

He searches frantically for something to fight the thing that is causing all of this, disappointed that the hammer only made him madder. Suddenly, an idea occurs to him. Gazing upon the incoming fireballs, he turns his heat vision upon them and then uses his super breath to return them to that gloating eye he can see in the sky, hoping they will knock him down. As the fireballs sling back at their conjurer, Clark then turns his heat vision upon the cannonballs Faith is firing and repeats the same trick, all the while hoping for the best and dreading the worst.

To Be Continued . . .


End file.
